The Victorian Era wasn’t just tea parties and top hats. It was also a time of wild innovation, eccentric ideas, and some genuinely strange technology. Inventors were obsessed with morality, health, and the possibilities of the modern machine. The result? Some Victorian Era gadgets that were both ahead of their time and completely bizarre by today’s standards. Below are eight of the weirdest inventions from the era that’ll leave you wondering, “Who thought this was a good idea?”
8. Electro-Magnetic Hair Brushes
Hair loss was a major fear for both Victorian men and women. Enter the electro-magnetic hair brush, which was a copper-bristled brush that claimed to “reawaken” the scalp using static electricity. Advertised in magazines with testimonials of miraculous regrowth, these brushes were among the more widely sold Victorian Era gadgets, though results were, unsurprisingly, unproven.
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7. The Motorized Teasmade
Tea was a staple in Victorian Britain. One invention was the precursor to the modern automatic kettle: the motorized Teasmade. This bedside contraption used gas burners, timers, and mechanical arms to brew tea the moment you woke up. While it mostly worked, malfunctions could mean burnt bedding, or no tea at all.
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6. Nose Shaping Devices
In an era obsessed with facial symmetry, some inventors marketed nose-shaping gadgets that clamped onto the bridge of the nose and “corrected” its contour over time. These Victorian Era gadgets claimed to offer a more refined profile without surgery. Unsurprisingly, they were painful, ineffective, and disappeared from popularity as quickly as they appeared.
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5. Electric Bath Brush
Victorians were intrigued by electricity. One product that emerged from this curiosity was the electric bath brush. Marketed as a health tool, it promised to revitalize the skin and “stimulate the nerves” through mild electric currents. However, early versions lacked safety regulations and could easily result in small shocks, or worse, especially near water.
4. Pneumatic Messaging Tubes
Before email or even the telephone, some cities, including parts of London, developed pneumatic tube systems to send messages. These tubes used pressurized air to shoot capsules filled with letters between offices and departments. While not totally useless, they became symbolic of how obsessed the era was with making everything mechanical, even something as simple as mail delivery.
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3. The Ear Trumpet
Long before modern hearing aids, Victorians with hearing loss often used ear trumpets, which were cone-shaped devices designed to amplify sound. Some were discreet, while others were elaborate accessories disguised as hairpieces or hats. They remain one of the more functional (yet strange) Victorian Era gadgets of the time.
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2. Anti-Masturbation Devices
Victorian society was obsessed with purity, and that extended into private behavior. One of the most extreme Victorian Era gadgets was the anti-masturbation ring, or a spiked metal band worn at night to discourage “impure” thoughts. Some even came with alarm systems to alert parents if the wearer tried to remove it.
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1. The Mechanical Leech
Medical bleeding was still popular during the Victorian Era, but live leeches weren’t always convenient. Enter the mechanical leech, which was a spring-loaded metal device designed to mimic the bite and suction of a real leech. Doctors used it to extract blood in a more “controlled” and less slimy fashion. It looked like a tiny iron torture device, and, honestly, it kind of was.